Envelop-sealing device.



H YORK. ENVELOP HEALING DEVIUE. APPLIoATIon FILED 00T. 5,1910.

wm u m N. ...Q RH \R\ M m l ,r1 mm www. mul :S m MM k www Inumh.. k mums H. YORK; ENVELOP HEALING DEVICE. APPLIOATION FILE? 00T. 5,1910.

988,61 5. Patented Apr. 4, 1911.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

HENRY YORK, 0F SAUGERTIES', NEW YORK.

ENVELOP-SEALING- DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed October 5, 1910. Serial No. 585,502.

Patented Apr. 4, 1911.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY Youn, a citi- Zen of the United States, residing at Saugerties, in the county of Ulster and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Envelop- Sealing Devices, of which the following is a speciication, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to automatic mois- `tening and sealing devices for envelops and has for its object to provide a very simple and convenient device of this character whereby envelops may be very quickly` and securely sealed.

Another object of the invention resides in the provision of means for moistening the gummed surface of the envelop flap, means for holding said flap upon the envelop, and pressure devices for causing said flap to properly adhere to the envelop.

A still further object of the invention resides in the provision of an elongated box having a moistening and sealing device arranged therein, and an intermediate plate formed with a contracted neck portion, said box having a longitudinal guide slot in which the envelop is adapted to be moved through the neck portion of said plate to fold the iap before the same is engaged by the pressure device.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of the novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 1s a perspective view, constructed in accordance with my invention; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section thereof; Fig. 3 is a top ,plan view with the cover open; Fig. 4 is a section taken on the line 4 4 of Fig. 1; and Fig. 5 `is a detail perspective view of the envelop flap folding plate.

Referring more particularly to the drawings 5 designates an elongated rectangular boxy or trough-like receptacle which is formed with a heavy base 5 to prevent ,movement of the box in the use of the device. Within the trough between the sides thereof and adjacent to each end a transverse partition plate 6 is arranged whereby three compartments are provided, the end compartments 6 and 6 being considerably smaller than the intermediate compartments 6b. One side of the box 5 is provided with a longitudinal slot 7 which extends the entire length thereof and across the greater portion of the ends of the box as shown at 7. This slot is formed in the walls of the box adjacent to the upper edge thereof, the upper edges of the partition plate 6 being dlsposed 1n the same plane with the lower edge of said slot. v

A moistening roller 8 is rotatably mounted within the compartment 6, said roller having suitable stub shafts fixed in its ends mounted in bearings formed in the metal plates 9 which are fixed to the opposite longitudinal side walls of the box 5. This moistening roller may be formed of felt or any other suitable material and the box 5 from the base thereof to the slot 7 is perfectly watertight so that the escape of water from the chamber 6 is etfectually prevented. The roller 8 extends above the slot 7 in the longitudinal wall of the box, and said slot at the end thereof opposite the end of the roller is curved as shown at 7u and provides a guide for the envelop in the movement of the same over the periphery of the meistening roller 8. A thin wood or metal plate 10 is arranged above the periphery of the roller 8 and in spaced relation thereto. This plate is curved concentrically with relation to the roller and has its ends suitably secured to the side walls of the box 5. In the other end compartment of the box or trough the pressure rollers 11 are rotatably mounted, said rollers being transversely disposed and having their peripheries engaged. These rollers are preferably formed of soft rubber and they are so mounted between the sides of the box that there is sufficient frictional contact between the same to exert sufficient pressure upon the Hap of the envelop whereby the same may be sealed. The engaged ortions of the peripheries of these sea ing ro lers are slightly above the upper edge of the partition wall 6 for a purpose which will more fully hereinafter appear.

1n the intermediate chamber or compartment 6b, a flap folding member is arranged, said member comprising' a solid heavy base 12 which is suitably secured to the 'sides of the box. A plate 13 is arranged upon the base 12 and the greater portiony thereof is of concavo-convex form, the side walls of said plate converging at one end,l the other end of said plate providing an open flaring mouth 14 which is disposed toward the end of the box or receptacle containing the moistening roller 8. Upon the convex surface of this plate an arm 15 is formed which has its end disposed at a right angle and against the inner face of one side of the box to which it is rigidly secured. The converging sides ofthe plate 13 are bent to form a contracted neck 16, the sides of said plate being slightly spaced Vand disposed in parallel relation to permit the envelop to pass between them. It will be observed from reference to Fig. 2 of the drawing that this neck 16 is disposed upon the upper edge of the partition wall 6 and in a direct line with the engaged peripheral portions of the pressers rollers 11. The partition 6 serves as a support for the contracted neck 16 of the plate 13 so that said neck is at all times retained in its proper position with relation to the rollers 11. Thus after the flap of the envelop has been foldedV it passes between the pressure rollers and suflicient pressure is exerted on the envelop to cause the flap to adhere thereto, thus completing` the sealing of the same. y

At the end of the box containing the pressure rollers, the slot 7 therein is of slightly greater width than the remaining portion of said slot so as to permit of the ready movement of the envelop therethrough after it is sealed and obviate the liability of the inner edge or corner of the same beingbent or distorted so that it will not pass through the end slot 7 It will of course be understood that the contracted neck portion of the folding plate 13 is also disposed in the same plane, as the longitudinal slot 7 in the side, of the box or case. A hinged cover 17 is arranged upon the upper longitudinal edge of one side of the box and a suitable catch or fastening device secures said cover to the other side. of the box thereby securely closing the compartments. A suitable handle plate 18 is alsosecured to each end of the box above the slot 7. The plate at the end of the box where the envelop is inserted also has the additional function of a guide for said envelop whereby the same is easily and quickly directed into the slot.

From the above it is believed that the construction and operation of my improved sealing device will be readily understood. The compartment 6 is first partially filled with water, and the cover of the box then closed. The envelop is inserted endwise into the end slot 7 and drawn over the surface of the felt moistening roller S between the saine and the transverse plate 10, said plate being spaced from the rollers sufficiently to insure the proper moistening of the gumined surface of the envelop flap. The slot7 extends across the end of the box to a suflicient extent to allow substantially one-half of the v envelop to be inserted therein. Thus the address which has been previously Written thereon will not be soiled. After the envelop flap has been inoistened it is drawn through the slot 7 of the box and enters the flared mouth 11 of the concavo-convex portion of the plate 13. As it moves into the same, the converging portions of said plate which form the neck 16 cause the flap to be folded' under and upon the body of the envelop. Upon continued movement of the envelop, the same is moved from between the folded end portions of the plate over the upper edge of the partition 6, between the pressure rollers 11. These pressure' rollers engage the flap and body of the envelop and exert the necessary pressure thereon to securely and effectually seal the saine.

An envelop sealing device constructed as above set forth is extremely simple and may be manufactured at a comparatively low cost. It is admirably adapted for office use and the envelops may be very quickly and easily sealed thereby without resorting to the moistening of the means of the tongue.

While I have above described the preferred construction and arrangement of the invention, it will be understood that theI device may be variously modified without departing from the essential feature or sacrificing any of the advantages thereof.

Having thus described the inventionwhat is claimed is A deviceI of the character described comprising an elongated box having a longitudinal slot in one of its side Walls and` each of the end walls thereof, a moistening de,- vice may be variously modified without deof engaged pressure rollers mounted in the other end of the box, a partition transenvelop flap by versely disposed in said box adjacent to the pressure rollers, an envelop flap folding device arranged between the moistening device and pressure rollers, said device comprising a plate bent upon itself to form a i flared entrance mouth, an attaching armk formed on the plate at the mout-h thereof and longitudinally disposed for engagement upon one side of the box to which it is rigidly secured, said' plate 'at its other end being folded to provide slightly spaced end portions forming a contracted neck between In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my which the envelop 1s adapted to be moved, signature 1n the presence of two Witnesses.

said neck beine' disposed upon the upper f end of said trnsverse partition and sup- HENRY YORK' vported thereby to position the same in lon- `lWitnesses:

gitudinal alinement with the engaged sur- H. B. WESLEY, face portions of Ythe pressure rollers. J. P. MEASTER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

